Vacuum Cleaner Cleanout System

ABSTRACT

A vacuum cleaner having an inlet nozzle, a dirt collection chamber having a chamber opening, and a lid adapted to selectively close the chamber opening. The lid includes a lid passage that extends between a lid inlet and a lid outlet, and the lid outlet is in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber. A dirty air inlet passage is fluidly connected between the inlet nozzle and the lid inlet. A fan is provided and adapted to convey dirty air into the inlet nozzle, through the dirty air inlet passage, through the lid passage, and into the dirt collection chamber. The lid passage includes a removable portion that can be removed to expose at least a portion of the lid passage to allow removal of obstructions from the lid passage. The vacuum may have a plug recess to hold a power cord plug while it powers the vacuum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to features for use with vacuum cleaners,such as upright vacuum cleaners, commercial vacuums, wet extractors,stick vacuums, canister vacuums, central vacuums, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vacuum cleaning devices, such as upright and canister vacuum cleaners,wet extractors, stick vacuums, electric brooms and other devices, are inwidespread use as tools to clean floors, upholstery, stairs, and othersurfaces. Known vacuum cleaning devices have various features that areintended to improve their utility or cleaning effectiveness. Forexample, some vacuum cleaners include features for mounting power cords.Another feature is the provision of various types of cleaning tools.Still other features relate to vacuum cleaner motors, bag filters orcyclone separators, and air flow management systems.

While the prior art provides various features relating to cleaningeffectiveness and user convenience, there still exists a need forimprovement of and alternative designs for these and other features ofvacuum cleaning devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first exemplary aspect, there is provided a vacuum cleaner havingan inlet nozzle, a dirt collection chamber having a chamber opening, anda lid adapted to selectively close the chamber opening. The lid includesa lid passage that extends between a lid inlet and a lid outlet, and thelid outlet is in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber. Adirty air inlet passage is fluidly connected between the inlet nozzleand the lid inlet. A fan is provided and adapted to convey dirty airinto the inlet nozzle, through the dirty air inlet passage, through thelid passage, and into the dirt collection chamber. The lid passageincludes a removable lid passage portion that can be removed to exposeat least a portion of the lid passage to allow removal of obstructionsfrom the lid passage.

In another exemplary aspect, there is provided an upright vacuum cleanerhaving an inlet nozzle, a dirt collection chamber having a chamberopening, and a lid adapted to selectively close the chamber opening. Thelid includes a lid passage extending between a lid inlet and a lidoutlet, and the lid outlet is in fluid communication with the dirtcollection chamber. A dirty air inlet passage is fluidly connectedbetween the inlet nozzle and the lid inlet. A fan is provided andadapted to convey dirty air into the inlet nozzle, through the dirty airinlet passage, through the lid passage, and into the dirt collectionchamber. The lid passage includes a removable lid passage portion thatcan be removed to expose at least a portion of the lid passage to allowremoval of obstructions from the lid passage.

In another exemplary aspect, there is provided a vacuum cleaner havingan inlet nozzle, a dirt collection chamber, a dirty air inlet passagefluidly connected between the inlet nozzle and the dirt collectionchamber, a fan adapted to convey dirty air into the inlet nozzle,through the dirty air inlet passage, and into the dirt collectionchamber, and a power cord adapted to provide electrical power to thevacuum cleaner. The power cord terminates at a power cord plug, and aplug recess is formed in a surface of the vacuum cleaner and adapted tohold the power cord plug while the power cord plug is providingelectrical power to the vacuum cleaner.

The recitation of this summary of the invention is not intended to limitthe claimed invention. Other aspects, embodiments, modifications to andfeatures of the claimed invention will be apparent to persons ofordinary skill in view of the disclosures herein. Furthermore, thisrecitation of the summary of the invention, and the other disclosuresprovided herein, are not intended to diminish the scope of the claims inthis or any prior or subsequent related or unrelated application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in detail with reference to theexamples of embodiments shown in the following figures in which likeparts are designated by like reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of anupright vacuum cleaner of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a partially-exploded and fragmented view of the base of theexemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partially-exploded and fragmented view of the rear housingof the exemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmented side view of the rear housing of the exemplaryvacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmented isometric view of the bag chamber and lid of theexemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of the accessory valve and relatedcomponents of the exemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cutaway side view of the accessory valve and relatedcomponents of the exemplary vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an exemplary vacuum tube adapter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONS

The present disclosure provides numerous inventive features for vacuumcleaners. A number of these features and alternative embodiments of theinvention are described with reference to their exemplary use in anupright vacuum cleaner, such as the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1.It will be appreciated, however, that the features described herein canbe used in various other contexts. For example, the various featuresdescribed herein can be used with canister vacuums, stick vacuums,portable and handheld vacuums, shop vacuums, wet extractors, centralvacuum systems, and so on. Furthermore, the various features describedherein may be used separately from one another or in any suitablecombination. The present disclosure illustrating the use of the variousinventions described herein is not intended to limit the inventions inany way.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exemplary vacuum cleaner 100 comprises abase 102 to which a rear housing 104 is pivotally mounted. A handle 106extends upwardly from the rear housing 104 and terminates at a grip 108that is adapted to be held by an operator to guide the vacuum cleaner100 during use.

In the exemplary embodiment, the base 102 is supported at the rear by apair of rear wheels 110, and at the front by front wheels 112. In oneembodiment, the two front wheels 112 may be replaced by a single wheelor more than two wheels. If desired, the front or rear wheels 110, 112may be mounted to the base 102 such that they can be elevated orlowered, to thereby regulate how the base 102 addresses or moves on thesurface being cleaned. For example, the front wheels 112 may be mountedon a movable carriage 114, which may be moved vertically by a heightcontrol 116, as known in the art. Of course, alternative heightadjustment mechanisms may be provided, or this feature may be omitted.

The base 102 includes a downwardly-facing floor inlet nozzle 202 that ispositioned to address a surface over which the base 102 moves, and actsas a primary suction inlet for the vacuum cleaner 100. The inlet nozzle202 may be laterally elongated, and may include a brushroll 204 or otheragitating device disposed therein. Brushrolls and other agitators areknown in the art. The brushroll 204 is covered by a sole plate 206, inwhich the inlet nozzle 202 may be formed, and which may help hold thebrushroll 204 in place. If desired, the sole plate 206 may be fabricatedfrom a smooth material, such as stainless steel, magnesium or hardplastic, to help it glide over surfaces without snagging on them orscratching them.

As shown in FIG. 3, the exemplary base 102 may comprise a multi-partstructure having a frame 302 and one or more covers. In this case, afront cover 304 and a rear cover 306 are provided to overlie the top ofthe frame 302. The frame 302 and/or covers 304, 306 may includefunctional features, such as a bumper to protect furniture and walls,windows to view into the base 102, a headlight (which may instead beprovided on the rear housing 104), and the like. The inlet nozzle 202may be formed in the underside of the frame 302 as part of a brushrollchamber 308 that contains the brushroll 204. In the shown embodiment,the brushroll chamber 308 is fluidly connected to the vacuum source,such as a fan and motor 422 (FIG. 4), by a base outlet 310.

The rear wheels 110 may be mounted to the base 102 by any conventionalmechanism, such as individual stub axles that are mounted in acantilevered manner into the base frame 302. Such stub axles are knownin the art. In the shown embodiment, both wheels 110 are mounted by asingle axle 208 that extends across the full width of the base 102, asbest shown in FIG. 2. The axle 208 may be bent along its length to forma generally U-shaped structure, which may allow the rear housing 104 topivot downwardly and rearwardly with respect to the base 102 furtherthan would be possible if the axle 208 extended straight between the tworear wheels 106. The bent axle 208 also may allow the rear housing 104to be made wider, and the base 102 to be made with less plasticmaterial, because the axle 208 may distribute the weight of the vacuumcleaner 100 better than stub axles would, making it unnecessary toprovide the base 102 with large, sturdy bosses into which conventionalstub axles typically mount. The axle 208 may be mounted to the base 102in any suitable way. For example, the axle 208 may be fitted into agroove 210 that extends along the width of the base frame 302 andretained by snaps and/or retaining plates 212. Such retaining plates 212may be secured by screws 214 or other means, as will be appreciated bythose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

Any kind of front or rear wheel 112, 110 may be used. The exemplary rearwheels 110 comprise hard plastic hubs 312 having resilient coatings 314,such as a urethane coating having a hardness of about 78A to 82A. Such aconstruction is expected to provide suitable low-slip contact withtypical household surfaces and help absorb shocks that might betransmitted to the user during use. Each rear wheel 110 may be mountedto the axle 208 by two bearings 316, and retained by a threadedfastener, a push nut 318 or other known devices. A spacer 320 may beprovided between the bearings 316, if desired, to maintain their properaxial spacing. A washer 322 may be provided inboard of each rear wheels106 to limit its movement and prevent interference with the base frame302. The exemplary washers 322 slide over the axle 208 and engageprotrusions 324 that limit the movement of the washers and wheelstowards the center of the base 102.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the base may include various otherfeatures, such as a handle release mechanism 118, a brushroll motorstatus light 120, or a brushroll motor reset switch 122. The handlerelease mechanism 118 is positioned where a user can press it with hisfoot to release a pivot lock between the base 102 and rear housing 104.Such devices are known in the art. The motor status light 120 and motorreset switch 122 are provided to monitor and reset a brushroll motor 326mounted in the base 102. The brushroll motor 326 is mounted in the base102 and drives the brushroll 204 through a belt 328 or other mechanism.An electric switch 330 may be provided to automatically deenergize thebrushroll motor 326 whenever the rear housing 104 is elevated to thefull upright position, which may be useful to help prevent the brushroll204 from damaging carpets or other surfaces.

The status light 120 and reset switch 122 may be conveniently mounted tothe base frame 302 by a single mounting block 332, but this is notrequired. In addition, the status light 120 and reset switch 122 may bemade visible to the user by one or more openings through the base 102,such as holes 334 through the rear base cover 306.

The brushroll motor 326 may be mounted by simple fasteners, straps, orany other suitable mechanism. The exemplary brushroll motor 326 ismounted in the base frame 302 beneath a brushroll motor cover 336. Thecover 336 generally isolates the brushroll motor 326 in an enclosedbrushroll motor chamber formed partly by the cover 336 and partly by thebase frame 302, however one or more air inlets 338 and one or more airoutlets 340 are formed through the cover 336 (or the base frame 302) toallow air to pass through the brushroll motor chamber to cool the motor326. If natural convection is insufficient to cool the motor 326, a fan(not shown) may be mounted on the motor 326 to generate this cooling airflow. Alternatively, the outlet 340 may be fluidly connected to the baseoutlet 310 by a hose 342. In this embodiment, operating the vacuum fan422 generates a negative pressure in the vacuum cleaner to draw air intothe base outlet 310 by way of the motor cover inlets 338. This air flowcools the motor 326 and conveys dirt and debris generated by the motor326 (such as carbon dust produced by the motor brushes) into the vacuumsystem to be cleaned from the air.

The base 102 also includes features for mounting it to the rear housing104. For example, the base frame 302 may include semi-circular recesses344 into which corresponding bosses 416 (FIG. 4) on the rear housing 104fit. Straps 346 enclose the top halves of the bosses 416 to hold them inplace in the recesses 344, and form a pivot attachment between the base102 and rear housing 104. Such devices and alternatives thereto areknown in the art.

It will be understood, of course, that the foregoing base arrangementmay be modified or altered in any number of ways, and various parts maybe omitted or added in other embodiments of the invention. For example,in one alternative, the brushroll motor 326 may be omitted, and the belt328 may be adapted to be driven by a shaft protruding from the vacuumfan motor, as known in the art. As another example, the brushroll motor326 may be mounted within the brushroll 204 itself. These and othervariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, an exemplary embodiment of a vacuumcleaner rear housing 104 is shown and described in detail. The rearhousing 104 comprises a main housing 402, which may be formed integrallyor as an assembly of parts. A lifting handle 222 may be provided on theback of the housing 402, as shown in FIG. 2. In the exemplaryembodiment, the handle 106 fits into a groove 404 in the front of themain housing 402, and is secured in place by one or more fasteners (notshown). Of course, the handle 106 and grip 108 (as well as various otherparts) may instead be formed as part of the main housing 402, as will beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

In one embodiment, the grip 108 may include a plug recess 124 adapted toreceive and hold a power plug 126. The plug recess 124 preferablyprovides a recessed area into which the power plug 126 partially orwholly fits such that it does not substantially protrude or does notprotrude at all from the vacuum cleaner surface, making it less likelyto catch on objects during use. In the shown embodiment, a first cordcatch 128 comprising a pair of resilient fingers is provided at one endof the plug recess 124 to hold the power cord 130 immediately adjacentthe power plug 126. Similarly, a second cord catch 132, comprising asecond pair of resilient fingers, is provided at the other end of theplug recess 124 to hold an electrical extension cord (not shown) intowhich the power plug 126 fits. Preferably, the plug recess 124 is largeenough to hold both the power plug 126 and the plug receptacle (notshown) on the extension cord, but this is not strictly required. Usingthis arrangement, the power plug 126 and the extension cord can both besecurely held in the plug recess 124, with the cord catches 128, 130helping to hold the two cords together. Of course, the cord catches 128,130 may comprise other kinds of grips or latches, and they may bereplaced or supplemented by catches that hold the power plug 126 itself.

In the shown embodiment, the plug recess 124 is formed as a void areawithin a hand guard 134 that extends along the length of the grip 108and is joined to the grip at each end. The guard 134 helps protect theoperator from striking his fingers on objects as he uses the vacuumcleaner 100. If desired, the guard 134 may be shortened so that it doesnot extend to each end of the grip 108, or omitted entirely, in whichcase the plug recess 124 may be omitted or moved elsewhere. In otheralternative embodiments, the plug recess 124 may be moved to otherlocations, such as along the handle 106 or in the rear housing 104. Theplug recess 124 also may be replaced with an offset plug mountingarrangement that holds the power plug 126 away from the surface of thevacuum cleaner, rather than nesting the power plug 126 within a recessin the vacuum cleaner's surface. In alternative embodiments, the vacuumcleaner 100 may be battery powered, in which case there may not be apower plug 126 or power cord 130.

In the shown embodiment, the power cord 130 is a relatively short cordthat enters the top of the main housing 402 at an opening 136 locatedadjacent a power switch 138. It will be understood, however, that thepower cord 130 may enter the vacuum cleaner 100 at any suitablelocation, and the power switch 138 may be located elsewhere, such as onthe grip 108 or base 102. The short power cord 130 is provided on theexemplary vacuum cleaner 100 because it has been found that vacuumcleaner power cords are sometimes damaged by being run over by thevacuum cleaner, closed in doors, caught on furniture edges, and so on.When damaged, the power cord can be costly or difficult to repair orreplace. Thus, the short cord 130 is provided with the intention thatusers connect the short cord 130 to a longer extension cord, which aretypically relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. As describedimmediately above, exemplary embodiments of the invention may include aspecific mounting feature, such as the plug recess 124, for holding thepower cord 130 and the extension cord. In other embodiments, however,the short cord 130 may be replaced by a longer cord so that the vacuumcleaner 100 does not require an extension cord to operate. In suchcases, the longer cord may be retractable into the rear housing 104 orbase 102, or it may have a fixed length.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, an exemplary embodiment also includes oneor more cord retainer hooks that may be used to store a power cord or aseparate extension cord on the vacuum cleaner 100. A first cord hook 140is located at the upper end of the handle 106, and may optionally beprovided as part of a combined grip 108, guard 124 and hook 140structure. The first cord hook 140 comprises a hook-shaped device havingan upwardly-extending projection 142. The projection 142 is adapted toretain a cord against the handle 106 when the cord is looped over thetop of the cord hook 140. The entire hook and projection structure maybe a single molded or formed part, or the projection 142 may be formedseparately. The shown projection is pivotally mounted on the hook 140 torotate downward or outward to release the cord. For example, theprojection 142 is pivotally mounted such that it can be rotated about anaxis 144 extending longitudinally with respect to the housing (i.e., inthe fore-aft direction). When the projection is turned to pointdownwards (i.e., towards the base 102), a cord can slide 0forwards andoff of the hook 140. Such pivoting hooks are known in the art.

A second cord retainer hook 146 is provided towards the bottom of thehandle 106. The second hook 146 may have any suitable construction, butin the shown exemplary embodiment the second hook 146 comprises afold-away hook that can be extended from the rear housing surface foruse, and retracted into or generally flush with the rear housing surfacefor storage. For example, the shown fold-away hook 146 can pivotdownwards to a position in which it is generally flush with the rearhousing 104 surface, where it is less likely to catch on surfaces (suchas the bottoms of chairs and tables) during use. As best shown in FIG.4, the second hook 146 may be pivotally attached to the bottom of thehandle 106 by a pin 406. The pin 406 fits into a mounting block 408,which is fitted into the bottom of the hollow handle 106. Thus, theseparts can be assembled prior to installing the handle 106 into thegroove 404 in the front of the main housing 402. This exemplaryconstruction also is advantageous because forces applied to the secondhook 146 can be distributed along the length of the handle and spreadout before being conveyed to the main housing 402. Of course, one couldinstead mount the second hook 146 directly to the rear housing 104, usea sliding attachment instead of a pivoting attachment, or otherwisemodify the foregoing embodiment, if desired.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second hook 146 pivots on the pin 406 to extendaway from the main housing 402. Contact between the hook 146 and theblock 408 or other surfaces limits the pivoting travel of the hook 146.When the second hook 146 is extended, a power cord can be looped aroundthe hook's lower surface 502, which is shaped to retain the cord againstthe main housing 402. The lower surface 502 also may provide a grip forthe user to hold the vacuum cleaner 100. In such a case, the second hook146 may be positioned towards the bottom of the rear housing 104, suchas in the shown embodiment, to provide a handle that is useful to liftthe vacuum cleaner 100 to clean stairs and other elevated surfaces.

It will be seen from the foregoing exemplary embodiment that a user canrepeatedly loop a power cord or extension cord over the first hook 140and under the second hook 146 to store it on the vacuum cleaner 100.This construction can be varied in numerous ways. For example, the firsthook 140 may also be a fold-away hook that stores generally flushagainst the handle 106. Also, the two hooks 140, 146 may be moved toother parts or areas of the vacuum cleaner 100. These and othervariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings provided herein.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the exemplary rear housing 104 also includes amotor compartment 410 located at the bottom of the main housing 402. Afan motor assembly 412 fits in the motor compartment, and is encased bya motor cover 414. Cylindrical mounting bosses 416 may be provided oneither side of the motor compartment 410 to mount the rear housing 104to the base 102, as described previously herein.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the fan motor assembly 412comprises an upper shroud 418 and a lower shroud 420 that encase avacuum fan and electric motor 422. Of course, the shrouds 418 420 may bemodified to encase the fan and motor 422 from different directions, suchas by providing front and rear or left-side and right-side shrouds. Theshrouds also may be omitted. The fan and motor 422 are connected to oneanother, and when the motor is energized by turning on the power switch138, it drives the fan to generate a vacuum, as known in the art.

The fan and motor 422 may be oriented such that the motor shaft and fanimpeller rotate about a generally vertical axis 424 that is generallyaligned with the longitudinal axis of the rear housing 104. The shrouds418, 420 comprise a shroud inlet 426 that is fluidly connected to thefan inlet, and a shroud outlet 428 that is fluidly connected to the fanoutlet. As shown, the inlet 426 and outlet 428 may be positioned on theupper surface of the upper shroud 418. When the fan and motor 422 areassembled into the shrouds 418, 420 and placed in the motor compartment,the shroud inlet 426 is in fluid communication with a dirt collectionchamber, such as a bag chamber 430, and the shroud outlet 428 is influid communication with a post-motor filter chamber 432. To help ensurean air-tight fit between these parts, a seal or seals 436 may beprovided around the shroud inlet and outlet 426, 428 and theirconnections to the bag and filter chambers 430, 432. Additionally, oneor both of the shrouds 418, 420 may have ramped surfaces 434 that pressagainst corresponding surfaces 436 in the motor compartment 410 or motorcover 414 to press the shroud inlet and outlet 426, 428 against theseseals 436 as the shrouds are being installed into the motor compartment410.

The foregoing arrangement is expected to increase the serviceability ofthe vacuum cleaner 100. In particular, the motor cover 414 may beremoved without removing the rear housing 104 from the base 102 bytilting the rear housing 104 backwards relative to the base 102, makingit relatively easy to install and remove the fan/motor/shroud assemblyfor service or replacement. Of course, these features are not requiredfor all embodiments of the invention, and other arrangements andorientations for the fan and motor, the shrouds (if used), and motorcover may be used. For example, the fan and motor may be located betweenthe nozzle inlet 202 and the bag chamber 430, in which case the fanwould be exposed to the incoming dirty air, and the bag chamber 430would operate under positive pressure, rather than negative pressure.

As noted above, an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner 100 may include oneor more post-motor filter chambers 432, if desired. Such a post-motorfilter chamber 432 may be mounted on the side of the main housing 402 orelsewhere. In addition, this chamber 432 may be shaped to encourage evendistribution of air across a filter mounted therein. For example, theshown post-motor filter chamber 432 has an air inlet 438 that isconnected to the shroud outlet 428, and the chamber 432 narrows slightlyas it becomes more distant from the inlet 438, this shape is expected tohelp distribute air passing through the chamber more evenly through apost-motor filter 440 provided to cover the chamber 432.

If used, the post-motor filter 440 can comprise any suitable filtrationmedium. For example, the post-motor filter 440 may comprise a pleatedhigh efficiency filter (such as a HEPA or ULPA filter), a flat filter,or the like. In the exemplary shown embodiment, the post-motor filter440 comprises a pleated HEPA filter medium 442 that is bonded to orcaptured beneath a rigid filter housing 444. The housing 444 includesone or more holes 446 through which air can pass to exhaust out of thepost-motor filter 440. The pleated filter medium 442 is visible throughthese holes 446. The post-motor filter housing 444 may be held in placeby separate latches, or may include integrally constructed latches. Forexample, the post-motor filter housing 444 may include rigid tabs 448 atone end, and a resilient tab 450 at the other end, as shown. The rigidtabs 448 fit into slots 452 adjacent the bottom of the post-motor filterchamber 432, and the resilient tab 450 can be deflected to snap under acorresponding protrusion 454 at the top of the post-motor filter chamber432. The post-motor filter 440 can be removed by pressing down on theresilient tab 450 and pulling it away from the main housing 402. Othersuitable post-motor filter arrangements will be readily apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

The exemplary embodiment includes a bag chamber 430, which is positionedgenerally above motor compartment 410, but these orientations may bereversed or otherwise modified. The bag chamber 430 is adapted toreceive a filter bag 456, which may be installed by dropping it inthrough the opened top of the bag chamber 430. A flange 457 may beprovided at the top of the bag 456 to prevent it from falling into thebag chamber 430. Any suitable bag 456 may be used. In other embodiments,the bag chamber 430 may have a side opening instead of a top opening, asknown in the art. The bag chamber 430 also may be replaced by a cycloneseparator or other kinds of filtration or dirt separation device. Apre-motor filter 458 may be provided at the bottom of the bag chamber430 to cover the shroud inlet 426, as known in the art. Any suitablefilter, such as an open-cell foam filter, may be used. A grille 460 maybe provided to cover the filter and prevent the bottom of the bag 456from resting against and potentially blocking or severely limitingairflow into the post-motor filter 458 and/or shroud inlet 426.Similarly, the interior walls of the bag chamber 430 may include ribs462 to prevent the bag from pressing tightly against the walls andpotentially blocking or limiting airflow. Such ribs are known in theart.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the exemplary embodiment includes a bagchamber lid 464 that covers the bag 456 when it is installed, and mayadditionally connect the bag 456 to a dirty air inlet tube 466 thatconveys dirty air to the bag 456. The lid 464 may be removably attachedto the main housing 402, or slideably or pivotally attached thereto. Inthe shown embodiment, the lid 464 is pivotally attached to the mainhousing 402 by an elongated pivot pin 468 that fits into a first tubularloop 470 on the main housing 402, and second tubular loops 472 on thelid (see FIG. 2). Variations on this pivot or other types of attachmentmay be used instead. The lid 464 can pivot from a closed position shownin FIG. 1, to an open position shown in FIG. 6. The lid 464 may be heldby one or more resilient, snap-fitting parts, or a mechanical latch. Forexample, a lid latch 474 may be pivotally attached to the lid 464 andprovided with a hook 476 that fits into an opening (not shown) on theback of the handle 106 to secure the lid 464 in the closed position. Aspring 478 may be provided to bias the hook 476 into the opening. Ofcourse, other latches or closing arrangements may be used instead.

The lid 464 may simply close and seal the top of the bag chamber 430, inwhich case it acts simply as a door to facilitate installation andremoval of the filter bag 456. In the exemplary embodiment, however, thelid 464 includes an air passage 480 that extends between the dirty airinlet tube 466 and a bag attachment tube 482. The filter bag 456includes a bag inlet 484 that fits over the bag attachment tube 482. Thebag 456 may be installed by dropping it into the bag chamber 430 andpivoting the lid 464 closed, at which time the flange 457 holds the bagin place while the bag attachment tube 482 enters the bag inlet 484. Thebag 456 and/or lid 464 may include one or more seals 486 to help sealthis junction. A gasket 498 may also be provided around the perimetersof the bag chamber 430 and/or dirty air inlet tube 466 to seal theseparts against the lid 464.

The air passage 480 may comprise a simple tube or an assembly of partsthat form an air path. In the shown embodiment, the air passage 480comprises an upper tube half 488 and a lower tube half 490 that fittogether to form a continuous air path, but can be separated to removeany clogs that may accumulate therein. The upper tube half 488 issecured into the lid 464, or may be formed as part of the lid 464. Thelower tube half 490 may be pivotally connected to the upper tube half488 by one or more pivots 492. In this embodiment, the lower tube half490 can be pivoted open, as shown in FIG. 6, to separate it from theupper tube half 488 and thereby allow access to clogs in the air path480. A latch 494 may be provided to lock the upper and lower tube halves488, 490 together until it is desired to separate them. In the shownembodiment, the lock 494 hooks onto the pivot 492 or the edge of thelower tube half 488 to prevent it from moving until the lock 494 hasbeen moved. As spring 496 may be provided to hold the lock 494 in thelocked position. In other embodiments, the lock 494 may be replaced byother holding devices, such as snap-fitting resilient tabs that hold theparts together until sufficient force is applied to them to separatethem, or the lock 494 may be removed entirely. In addition, the lowertube half 490 may be slideably attached to the upper tube half, or maybe completely removable. Furthermore, while the shown embodimentdiscloses the upper and lower tube halves 488, 490 as beingcomplementary shapes that form a rounded tube, one or both of the tubehalves 488, 490 may be shaped otherwise, provided they still cooperatetogether to form an enclosed air passage from the dirty air inlet tube466 and the filter bag 456.

As noted above, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a dirty air inlet tube466 by which dirty air is conveyed to the filter bag 456 or whateverdirt separation system or systems may be used with the device. As shown,the dirty air inlet tube 466 may comprise a distinct tube-like structuremounted to or formed on the exterior of the main housing 402, or it maybe formed internally. The tube 466 may be rigid, flexible, or anycombination thereof, and may have transparent features and/or portals todetect and/or remove clogs.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, in an exemplary embodiment the dirty airinlet tube 466 may comprise a rigid tube 466 that is affixed to the sideof the rear housing 104. Of course, it may be located on the front orrear of the housing 104 instead. The inlet tube 466 is fluidly connectedto the base outlet 310 (FIG. 3) by way of a flexible connector hose 216,which provides a flexible joint that accommodates for the pivotingmovement between the base 102 and the rear housing 104.

If desired, an accessory valve 218 may be provided in the flow pathbetween the base 102 and the bag chamber 430. The accessory valve 218may have two operating positions. In the first position, the valve 218fluidly connects the connector hose 216 to the dirty air inlet tube 466,thereby forming a fluid flow path from the inlet nozzle 202 in the base102 to the bag chamber 430. This may be referred to as the “floorcleaning” position. In the second position, the valve 218 connects anaccessory hose 220 to the dirty air inlet tube 466. This may be referredto as the “accessory cleaning” position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the valve 218 of the shown exemplary embodiment isattached to the rear housing 104 between the dirty air inlet tube 466and the flexible connector hose 216, but other locations are possible.The valve 218 comprises a valve door 702 that is movably mounted betweenfirst and second valve housing halves 704, 706. When assembled, thehousing halves 704, 706 form a floor inlet 708 pipe to which theflexible connector hose 216 attaches, an outlet 710 that attaches to thebottom of the dirty air inlet tube 466, and an accessory inlet 712 towhich the accessory hose 220 attaches. Between the floor inlet 708,outlet 710 and accessory inlet 712 is a valve chamber 714 in which thevalve door 702 is movably mounted. The valve door 702 may be pivotallymounted by circular bosses 716, 718 at each end, or by other pivoting,sliding or movable attachments.

The valve door 702 is connected to a valve handle 722 located outsidethe valve housing by way of an opening 724 through the housing 704. Ahousing seal 726 may be provided to help prevent air from leakingthrough this opening 724 and into the valve chamber 714, which couldreduce the vacuum cleaner's cleaning performance. The valve door 702 isoperated by rotating the handle 722. When the handle 722 and valve door702 are in a first position, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the valve door702 blocks the floor inlet 708 and allows air to pass from the accessoryinlet 712 to the outlet 710. This corresponds to the aforementionedaccessory cleaning position. When it is desired to operate the vacuumcleaner 100 in the floor cleaning position, the user rotates the valvehandle 722 until the valve door 702 blocks the accessory inlet 712 andallow air to pass from the floor inlet 708 to the outlet 710. Travelstops 802, 804 may be provided within the valve chamber 714 to limit therotational movement of the valve door 702. Detents or the like may beprovided to resiliently hold the valve door 702 in one or both of thecleaning positions, and a mechanism such as a spring or other resilientmember may be provided to bias or automatically move the valve door 702into one or the other cleaning position.

To help seal and block the floor inlet 708 and accessory inlet 712, thevalve door 702 may include a door seal 728 that is wrapped around oradhered to the door 702. The door seal 728 moves with the door 702 andfaces or abuts the floor inlet 708 and accessory inlet 712 to stop orimpede air from passing therethrough. In other embodiments, the doorseal 728 may be omitted, replaced, or supplemented by one or more staticseals that surround the inlets themselves.

While the shown valve is expected to provide suitable performance fortypical applications, any other suitable valve may be used, andadditional or alternative valve operating positions may be provided.Variations and alternatives to the illustrated exemplary valve will beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theteachings herein.

Still referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the accessory hose 220 may comprise aflexible hose or any combination of flexible and rigid sections. In theexemplary embodiment, the accessory hose 220 comprises a mounting cuff730 that fits over the accessory inlet 712, a flexible hose 732 attachedat its proximal end to the mounting cuff 730, and a terminal cuff 734attached to the distal end of the flexible hose 732. The terminal cuff734 may include a partially-toroidal hose support 736 that is shaped tohold the flexible hose 732 and prevent it from kinking at its junctionwith the terminal cuff 734. The terminal cuff 734 may also include agrip or other useful features.

The accessory hose 220 may also include one or more rigid pipe sections,which may be fixed-length or telescoping. For example, a rigid innerpipe 738 may be attached to the terminal cuff 734, and a rigid outerpipe 740 may be provided to telescopically fit over the inner pipe 738.Any kind of telescoping mechanism may be provided to control therelative positions of the inner and outer pipes 738, 740. In the shownembodiment, the outer pipe 740 includes a latch 742 that selectivelyengages notches or holes 744 in the inner tube 738 to lock the outerpipe 740 in various locations along the length of the inner pipe 738.Infinitely-variable adjustment mechanisms are also know, and may be usedwith other embodiments.

To prevent the outer pipe 740 from rotating on the inner pipe 738, eachpipe 738, 740 may be formed with a generally circular profile having aflat wall 738′, 740′. The resulting profile for each pipe 738, 740 isroughly D-shaped. The flat walls 738′, 740′ overlie one another andprevent relative rotation of the pipes 738, 740. Of course, the pipes738, 740 may include other mechanisms to prevent relative rotation, suchas ovate or other non-circular profiles or a corresponding tang andgroove arrangement. If desired, the telescoping pipe section (or afixed-length section, if one is used) may be removable from the terminalcuff 734. Mechanisms for providing a detachable connection between theterminal cuff 734 and a rigid pipe section are known in the art.

The rigid pipe section terminates at an accessory inlet nozzle 746. Inthe exemplary embodiment, a sliding brush 748 may be provided toselectively retract behind and extend beyond the accessory inlet nozzle746. As shown, the sliding brush 748 comprises a generally tubular brushbody 750 that slidingly fits over the outer tube 740. The brush body maybe shaped or configured so that it does not rotate on the outer tube740. A brush latch 752 is provided on the brush body 750, which latch752 selectively engages a first opening 754 in the outer tube 740 tohold the brush 748 in a retracted position (as shown), and a secondopening 756 in the outer tube 740 to hold the brush 748 in an extendedposition. When the brush 748 is in the extended position, bristles 758extending from the brush body 750 extend beyond the accessory inletnozzle 746 and are available to help clean surfaces such as upholstery,curtains, and the like. Numerous variations on this design may also beused. For example, the brush latch 752 may be located remotely from thebrush itself, or springs may be provided to bias the brush towards oraway from the extended position. Other variations will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present teachings.

The telescoping tubes 738, 740 may be stored on the vacuum cleaner 100by inserting them into a tube cuff 760, which may be formed, forexample, as part of the dirty air inlet tube 466 or as a separate part.In the shown embodiment, the outer tube 740 is shaped and sized to snapinto the tube cuff 760 to hold it in place during floor cleaning. Inaddition, the vacuum cleaner 100 may include a tube end mount 762 thatholds the end of the rigid pipe 740. In the exemplary embodiment, theend mount 762 is formed as part of the accessory valve housing 704, 706,but this is not required. The exemplary end mount 762 may have anopening into which the outer pipe 740 fits so that the end mount 762surrounds the accessory inlet nozzle 746, and may alternatively oradditionally include a tang 764 that fits within the inlet nozzle 746,as shown in FIG. 8. The end mount 762 may optionally be shaped toreceive the inlet nozzle 746 with a slight interference fit to providesnap fitment between these parts. The end mount 762 may be configured toallow air to pass into the accessory inlet nozzle 746 when it is mountedin the end mount 762 to prevent the vacuum fan from losing a flow ofcooling air if the user places the accessory valve 218 in the accessorycleaning position, but fails to remove the accessory hose 220 from theend mount 762. Such an airflow may be provided by providing one or moreair gap between the outer tube 740 and the end mount 762, or providingan auxiliary opening into the end mount.

While the foregoing tube cuff 760 and end mount 762 are expected to besuitable for mounting an accessory hose 220 to a vacuum cleaner 100,other or additional mounting arrangements may be used in otherembodiments.

Referring to FIG. 9, an adapter tool 900 may be provided to attach theD-shaped outer tube 740 shown in FIG. 7 to conventional vacuum cleanertools having circular cross-sectional profiles or other profiles. Theadapter tool 900 comprises a D-shaped outlet 902 that is shaped andsized to slip into or over the end of the outer tube 740, and a circularinlet 904 that is shaped and sized to slip into or over a conventionalvacuum cleaner tool (not shown). The outlet 902 and inlet 904 are joinedby a transition region 906 that changes gradually or abruptly from theD- shaped profile to the circular profile.

The present disclosure describes a number of new, useful and nonobviousfeatures and/or combinations of features that may be used alone,together, with upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners orother types of cleaning device, or in other ways. The embodimentsdescribed herein are all exemplary, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions in any way. It will be appreciated that theinventions described herein can be modified and adapted in various waysand for different uses, and all such modifications and adaptations areincluded in the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: an inlet nozzle; a dirt collectionchamber having a chamber opening; a lid adapted to selectively close thechamber opening, the lid comprising a lid passage extending between alid inlet and a lid outlet, the lid outlet being in fluid communicationwith the dirt collection chamber; a dirty air inlet passage fluidlyconnected between the inlet nozzle and the lid inlet; a fan adapted toconvey dirty air into the inlet nozzle, through the dirty air inletpassage, through the lid passage, and into the dirt collection chamber;wherein the lid passage comprises a removable lid passage portion thatcan be removed to expose at least a portion of the lid passage to allowremoval of obstructions from the lid passage.
 2. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, further comprising: an accessory inlet nozzle; and an accessoryvalve having a first position in which the inlet nozzle is in fluidcommunication with the dirt collection chamber and the accessory inletnozzle is not in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber,and a second position in which the accessory inlet nozzle is in fluidcommunication with the dirt collection chamber and the inlet nozzle isnot in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber; wherein thefan is further adapted to convey dirty air into the accessory inletnozzle, and into the dirt collection chamber.
 3. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a cycloneseparator.
 4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dirt collectionchamber comprises a bag chamber.
 5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4,wherein the lid outlet comprises a bag attachment tube adapted to entera filter bag inlet.
 6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the lid ispivotally mounted to the dirt collection chamber.
 7. The vacuum cleanerof claim 1, wherein: the dirt collection chamber comprises a rigidchamber; the dirty air inlet passage comprises a rigid tube locatedadjacent the dirt collection chamber, the rigid tube having a tubeoutlet adjacent the chamber opening; and the lid is adapted tosimultaneously cover the chamber opening and the tube outlet and therebyplace the lid inlet in fluid communication with the tube outlet and thelid outlet in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber. 8.The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted tothe dirt collection chamber.
 9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, whereinthe fan is adapted to convey dirty air into the dirt collection chamberunder positive pressure.
 10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein thefan is adapted to convey dirty air into the dirt collection chamberunder negative pressure.
 11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein theremovable lid passage portion is pivotally mounted to the lid.
 12. Thevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the lid passage comprises a firsttube portion and a second tube portion that fit together to form agenerally rounded tube, the second tube portion comprising the removablelid passage portion.
 13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein theremovable lid passage portion is pivotally mounted to the lid.
 14. Anupright vacuum cleaner comprising: an inlet nozzle; a dirt collectionchamber having a chamber opening; a lid adapted to selectively close thechamber opening, the lid comprising a lid passage extending between alid inlet and a lid outlet, the lid outlet being in fluid communicationwith the dirt collection chamber; a dirty air inlet passage fluidlyconnected between the inlet nozzle and the lid inlet; a fan adapted toconvey dirty air into the inlet nozzle, through the dirty air inletpassage, through the lid passage, and into the dirt collection chamber;wherein the lid passage comprises a removable lid passage portion thatcan be removed to expose at least a portion of the lid passage to allowremoval of obstructions from the lid passage.
 15. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 14, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to the dirt collectionchamber.
 16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the removable lidpassage portion is pivotally mounted to the lid.
 17. The vacuum cleanerof claim 14, further comprising a movable cord hook attached to a vacuumcleaner surface, wherein the movable cord hook is selectively movable toa first position in which the movable cord hook is generally flush withthe vacuum cleaner surface, and a second position in which the movablecord hook protrudes from the vacuum cleaner surface and can receive andretain a looped power cord.
 18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, whereinthe movable cord hook is adapted to support the vacuum cleaner forlifting when it is in the second position.
 19. A vacuum cleanercomprising: an inlet nozzle; a dirt collection chamber; a dirty airinlet passage fluidly connected between the inlet nozzle and the dirtcollection chamber; a fan adapted to convey dirty air into the inletnozzle, through the dirty air inlet passage, and into the dirtcollection chamber; a power cord adapted to provide electrical power tothe vacuum cleaner, the power cord terminating at a power cord plug; aplug recess formed in a surface of the vacuum cleaner and adapted tohold the power cord plug while the power cord plug is providingelectrical power to the vacuum cleaner.
 20. The vacuum cleaner of claim19, further comprising: a lid adapted to selectively close the dirtcollection chamber, the lid comprising a lid passage extending betweenthe inlet nozzle and the dirt collection chamber; wherein the lidpassage comprises a removable lid passage portion that can be removed toexpose at least a portion of the lid passage to allow removal ofobstructions from the lid passage.